Impersonality
by noneko
Summary: He hears a sharp intake of breath and sees Hinata’s pale eyes half close as she digests this information. Somehow, from her muted reaction, he thinks it wasn’t wholly unexpected. [NaruHina, NaruSaku]


**Impersonality**

He curses under his breath, shoves his hands in his pockets, and walks in. She is waiting for him, kneeling on the hard floor in front of a mug of tea. The mug is filled to the brim – the cooling liquid hasn't been touched. When she doesn't look up as he enters, Naruto knows that the rumors rampaging through the village have reached even the cold halls of the Hyuuga. Without waiting for the slim likelihood of her invitation, he sits across from her.

"Hinata-chan…"

"My servants tell me you have something to say to me," she says lightly – far too lightly, "They tell me many things these days."

She waves one hand and the servant who followed Naruto in bows and leaves, taking Hinata's untouched tea with her. Naruto wonders if she's eaten anything today.

"Hinata-chan, I don't know how to say this…" he swallows, guilt and nerves constricting his throat. Then he forges on ahead. Better to get it over with than let it drag out.

"Sakura-chan and I…" He doesn't see a reaction from Hinata, so he continues, "I don't know any other way to say this, but Sakura and I are getting married."

He hears a sharp intake of breath and sees Hinata's pale eyes half close as she digests this information. Somehow, from her muted reaction, he thinks it wasn't wholly unexpected. Naruto's gaze trails uncomfortably around the room and finally rests on something familiar – the butterfly clip he had given her on her nineteenth birthday. It lies prominently on her dressing table. The sight makes his gut clench, and he knows he couldn't hurt her any more if he had taken a kunai and stabbed her with it.

Hinata doesn't say anything. Naruto places one hand on either side of his body and kowtows, nose nearly touching the polished wooden floor. "I'm so sorry, Hinata-chan," he says earnestly, blue eyes trained at a spot in front of her, "I never meant to hurt you, honest." He shifts his weight, and the sound of metal scraping together, of Tsunade's necklace and the thin chain Sakura gave him last week, sounds clear as a bell in the silent Hyuuga chambers. Hinata remains quiet, but Naruto can feel the weight of her stare heavy on his shoulders.

"I just… never stopped loving her. I thought… that if you loved me enough, I could love you back, but… Sakura-chan loves me too. I'm sorry. It's not fair to you."

He looks up now, and tries to meet her pale, unwavering eyes with his own fierce blue ones. There is no discernable emotion on her face – no tears, no anger. Just unblinking calm. She lowers her head before their gazes connect.

This isn't going how he thought it would. Knowing Hinata, kind, sweet, shy Hinata, he expecting stammering, and tears, and enough guilt to last a lifetime and a half. He isn't sure how to deal with this. It's as if he's facing a stranger, a woman who hasn't loved him since their Academy days, a kunoichi who didn't blush whenever he spoke more than two words to her. He doesn't understand it, and he's sure he doesn't like it. He sits up, confession complete.

"I hope we can still be friends… I really do like you, Hinata-chan, and I'll always be there for you, no matter what."

Hinata still hasn't moved. The only sign that she has heard him is the slight movement of her fingers as they play with the embroidery of her violet kimono.

"Please say something, Hinata-chan." he pleads, more then a little wary of the silent woman kneeling before him.

Hinata's small hands fold neatly into her lap. She speaks without hesitation, without stammering. "I wish you and Haruno-san the best in your upcoming marriage, Naruto-san. I hope you will understand that I will not be able to attend."

He smiles and nods even as his heart stings at her overly formal address and too-calm demeanor. "Of course, Hinata-chan."

She inclines her head slightly towards the window leading to the inner courtyard of the Hyuuga compound, more for his benefit than any practical use. It's nearly impossible to tell where the pale Hyuuga eyes are looking.

"I am away on Clan business that day. Regrettable, but please give Haruno-san my best wishes."

"I understand." Naruto replies, ignoring the fact that Hinata and Sakura are friends, and that he and Sakura haven't set a date yet. Hinata stares out the window for another long moment, then returns her pale gaze to the floor. Her face is paler that usual, almost white in appearance.

He frowns in concern. "Hinata-chan…"

She looks up at him then, her small hands gripping each other so tightly her knuckles turn white. His eyes meet hers.

"A servant will show you out." She pointedly turns away. Naruto gets on his feet, knowing that no matter his own wishes, the conversation is over. It feels strange to have Hinata, the one who always wanted him closer, send him away. The screen slides open, as if from some unspoken command, and a servant beckons Naruto to follow. He turns before the screen slides shut and sees Hinata's profile, as calm and collected as when he entered. He realizes something then.

He knows Hinata – kind, sweet, shy Hinata, who silently supported him through all the years of their youth. He knows Hinata, who nearly cried when he asked her to be his girlfriend.

He knows Hinata, but Hyuuga Hinata, the clan heir who regards him with pale unreadable eyes and hands folded neatly into the lap of her violet kimono, who refuses to cry in front of the man who taught her that displaying emotion was nothing to be ashamed of – she is a stranger.

Despite her soft smiles, kind personality and unfaltering generosity, she is Hyuuga after all. Silent and unforgiving. He knows better than to assume that he will be welcome here again. She never even acknowledged his apology.

He passes Neji in the long, wide hallway that leads to the main gate. Neji, whose pale eyes see farther than Hinata's ever could. Naruto's greeting is met with a cold stare.

"I told you what I'd do to you if you ever hurt Hinata-sama." He says quietly, with all that infuriating Hyuuga calm.

Naruto looks down. "I'm sorry, Neji, but – "

"Get out," Neji spits out, a snarl cracking his cool exterior. "I don't want to see your face here ever again." He turns and stalks off in the direction of Hinata's chambers, no doubt to comfort her, a woman abandoned in favor of another. Naruto turns and continues to walk, but the hallway seems to be getting smaller and smaller, and the air is almost stifling.

As he leaves the increasing oppressive and unfriendly atmosphere of the Hyuuga compound, he starts to breathe easier. Until he hears the faint sound of a woman crying. He stops for a moment, closes his eyes, tries to clear his mind. All he can see are the pale, calm eyes of Hyuuga Hinata, brimming with tears that refuse to fall. Tears that she wouldn't shed in front of him. He curses under his breath, shoves his hands in his pockets, and walks away.

* * *

_Author's Note:_ This is my first foray into a fandom that I was dragged into. As I have next to no knowledge of Japanese, I can only hope that I got the honorifics right, but please, if I have something wrong, beat me over the head with it. Oh, and I don't own anything. Just in case that wasn't clear.

Regarding the title: _Impersonality _is an actual word, but it essentially means "being impersonal". gives the definition of impersonal (the one that I'm using, at least) as this:** a. ** Showing no emotion or personality** b. ** Having no personal reference or connection** c. ** Not responsive to or expressive of human personalities.

I think that **a.** and **c.** describe Hinata in this instance, where her family training clashes with her desire to, well, let it all out. If you couldn't tell, this is very AU, and it really rides on the idea that Hinata is accepted as clan heir. Other than that, it's supposed to be kind of ambiguous in the timing.


End file.
